Convertible amusement and dining car.



v G. H. PACKARD.

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LIILIUL'IIOI III-ED 1.11, 1908.

Patented Mar. 9, 1909.

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APPLIULTIOH FILED IAB. 11, 1908.

Patented Mar. 9, 1909.

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i the provision in a dining car of a sideboard v comprised of adjustable or movable sections,

' when the car is converted from adining car purpose of providing a ticket o'lfice therein,

' to the main combinations and purposes of fully appear.

CHISMORE H. PACKARD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CONVERTIBLE AMUSEMENT AND DINING can.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 9, 1909.

Application fil ed March 11, 1908. Serial No. 420,357.

To all whom at may concern:

Be it known that I, CHIsMoanH. PACKARD,

a citizen of the United States, residing -at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Convertible Amusement and Dining Cars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

- My invention relates to the construction of that class of passenger cars ada ted to serve a double purpose, and readi y con vertible from one use to another, as may be desired from time to time.

. To this end the main feature of the present invention involves the combination with a suitable oar compartment of a series of sectional tables adapted by the rearrangement of the arts thereof tobe converted into seats w ereby a dining car may be readily changed into an auditorium car having consecutive seats and increased seating capacity.

A second feature of my-invention involves so that by a rearrangement of said movable sections a suitable support for a graphophone .or like apparatus may be provided into an auditorium car.

A third feature of my invention embraces the combination with a car vestibule of a movable partition adapted to be so arranged with relation to said vestibule as to permit of the subdivision of the vestibule for the or said partition may be so stored as to avoid any obstruction of the vestibule, according to the use to be made of the car.

There are other, minor, features of invention involving special features of construction, and particular combinations, ancillary my invention, all as will hereinafter more In the drawings chosen for the purpose of illustrating my invention, the scope of which is pointed out in the claims, Figure 1 is a horizontal section of a car embodying my invention, showing a plan view of the floor thereof and the arrangement of tables and chairs when the car is in use as a dining car. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the car shown in l 1, parts of the side wall broken away. Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal section of a portion of the car, showing a plan of the floor thereof when arranged as an audi torium. Fig. 4 is a vertical central section of the portion of the car shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the convertible table arran ed as a table. Fig. 6 is an end elevation o the convertible table arranged as a. seat.- Fig. 7 is a view of the underside of one leaf or section of the convertible table, the legs or supports thereof being folded on the leaf. Fig.- 8 a view of the other section or leaf of the convertible table, in the position it occupies when forming the back of a seat. Figs. 9,and f0 are front elevations of an adjustable seat chair forming part of the equipment of a convertible amusement anddining car. 'Figs. 11 and 12 are detail views of the upper section of, an adjustable sectional side-board forming part of the equipment of a convertible amusement and dining car. Fig. 13 is an enlarged vertical ,transverse section of the ear vestibule showing in full line the pivoted partition as forming a panel of the ceiling of the vestibule, and in dotted line the arrangement of said partition to form a ticket office in the vestibule. Fig. 14 is a detached. plan view of the partition and its adjuncts. Figs. 15 and 16 are details of it form of ticket window and counter there- Like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur.

I will now roceed to describe m invention more fully so that others skilled in the art to which it appertains may apply the same.

In the drawings, A indicates a kitchen, B a side-board, C a dining room, 1) a lavatory, andE, E the vestibules of a dining car, the relative size and location of which parts may be such as are in common use, or may be modified to meet the wishes of the car builder. I

The side-board B is preferably comprised of at least two sections the lower section or base 1 of which will be fixed and will be utilized as a stand or support for a phonograph P or like apparatus, and to render said base section 1 capable of-such use, the upper. section 2 of thesid'e-board is formed separate therefrom and movable away therefrom. Preferably the upper section 2 of the sideboard is in the form of ametal casting 2 in which is inserted a hollow wooden post 2*,

. Fig. 3 of the drawin s to permit the base section 1 of the side-board to be used as a support for any desired amusement ap aratus.

At the end of the dining room C, etween the dining room and side-board B, a drop curtain 4 is suspended from a roller 4 near the car roof, and at any suitable point in the car roof a lantern box L may be secured, the power box L for said lantern being preferably located beneath the car flooring below the sideboard B, and the connection between the two made by suitable tubing Z.

Within the dining room C of the car and occupying the usual relations are a series of tables and chairs, the tables being of such construction that they maybe readily transformed into seats, and the chairs, or some of them, having walkoverl backs, or otherwise made reversible. The tables 5 are preferably each comprised of two leaves or sections 5 5 of wood secured to metal frames 6, 6, the first of which frames 6 is pivoted at one end as at 6 to fixed metal uprights or stationary legs 7 secured to the car floor. The second frame section 6 is pivoted to the side of the firstframe section 6, as at 6, and has pivoted to its under surface and at its opposite ends legs or supports 8, 8

which, when not in use, are adapted to fold against said frameand may be secured in such position by any suitable means. The floor of the car may be provided with catches 8, 8" to secure the legs 8, 8 when they are adjusted to support the frame 6, 6

Secured to the floor of the car in advance of the fixed standards or legs 7 of the table .are pedestals 9, 9 for the support of frame section 6 .when lowered to form a seat, and secured to the under surface of said frame 6 between the pivoted legs 8 thereof are blocks of rubber 9, 9 or equivalent cushioning devices to prevent the transmission of shocks and jars from the fixed pedestals 9, 9 to the seat formed by the leaf 5 of the table.

The convertible table being constructed substantially as above noted, it will be observed that the frames 6, 6. may be brought into line in a horizontal position and the pivoted legs 8, 8 turned down into position to support the frame section 6, after which the whole maybe securely fixed in said position by inserting over the pivot 6 of the frame sections and between the leaves 5, 5 the key section 10, which is simply a narrow stri of wood that completes the top of the tab e, locks the middle joint of the frame againstsagging, and transfers the load to the legs 7, 7 and 8, 8. When not in use this key strip IO may be carried instaples or loops 10 on the under surface of frame 6 of the table. The tables 5, 5 are to be so spaced as to allow of the rearrangement of the movable parts 01 sections to convert said tables into seatswith sufficient room for the comfort of the occupants of said seats. When it is desired to convert the table into a seat, the narrow key stri 10 is withdrawn, the legs 8, 8 folded against the under surface of the frame section 6 and table leaf 5*, and the framesection 6 lowered onto the edestals 9, 9 which will cause the frame 6 an leaf 5 to assume a substantially vertical position and constitute the back of the seat into which said table has been converted.

The-chairs 11, which are used in conjunction with the convertible tables, should not only be reversible so far as the alternate rows are concerned, in order to cause all the audience to face in the same direction, and this can be accomplished by the use of the well known walk-over back common to railroad car seats, or in any other suitable manner, but should also be adjustable as to height of seat, for the reason that, as a matter of comfort-a higher chair is desirable in connection with the dining table when the car is converted into a diner, while a lower seat is preferable for auditorium purposes.v

into which the removable bottoms 12 are slid, the upper roove 11 being adjacent to the upper cross ar of the side frame 11* and the lower grooves 11 being some distance below the same, so that when the chair is converted from a dining chair into an auditorium ehair, that is, when the seat is in the lowest position, the cross bars of the. side frames will constitute arms for the chair.

The back 13 of the chair, may be in the form of the well known walk-over back commonly used for car seats; or any equivalent therefor may be used.

In order to subdivide the vestibule to form a ticket office when the car has been converted into an auditorium car, the vestibule is provided with a movable partition 14 adapted to be stored out of the way in the vestibule when not in use. partition 14 is preferably in the form of a swinging or suspended section hinged to the ceiling of the vestibule as at 14: so as to be swung up to form a panel of said ceiling when not in use and provided( with catches 14: whereby its free end may be secured in both the raised and lowered positions. Where the partition is so stored and forms a ceiling panel, it is provided with a light orifice 15 at a point corresponding to the car lamp M, and with a door or shutter 16 hinged to said par- This movable tition 14, as at 16, to close said light orifice 15 when the partition is in the lowered position. This shutter 16 is provided with a ticket window 17 and beneath the same with a counter 18, which latter may if desired be hinged to the shutter as at '18, supported in turn by a hinged bracket 19, whic enables the counter to fold into and close the ticket window 17 when the partition 14 is not in use. The door or shutter 16, will also be provided with catches 16 for securing it in position when arranged toclose the light orice 15, and the counter 18 instead of being hinged to the shutter 16 as indicated in Figs. 15 and 16 may be attached fixedly thereto as indicated in Fig. 13 of the drawing. Furthermore, if it is desired to obtain means of ingress and egress for the su b-division formed by panel 14, a movable side panel s (Fi 1) may be formed in the end wall of the vesti ule which when opened out willbe in alinement with the partition 14.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A convertible car having a lurality of tables arranged with intervening 0 air spaces, each of said tables having a top comprised of sections which may be rearranged to constitute a seat and a back therefor, and suitable supports for said seat section when lowered.

2. A convertible car having a series of tables comprised of movable sections, and a series of inte osed chairs some of whichchairs are reversib e, 'said chairs and tables being so spaced that by the rearrangement of the tab e sections, a consecutive series of seats are obtainable.

3. A convertible car, having a side-board comprised of an upper section and a lower section, the former arranged to be swung away from the latter to permit the lower section to be used as an mdependent base or support. i I 4. A convertible car'having a side-board comprised of an upper section and'a lower section the former arranged to beswung away from the latter, and provided with a series of tables comprised of movable sections, said tables so spaced that by rearrangement of the said sections the tables may be converted into seats. v 1

5. A convertible car having a side-board comprised of an upper section and a lower section the former arranged to be swung away from the latter, a series of tables comprised of movable sections, and a series of interposed chairs some of which are reversible, the tables and chairs being so s aced that by the rearrangement of the tab e sections a consecutive series of seats may be obtianed.

I 6. A convertible car having a series of tables, each table comprised of a hinged sectional frame and legs pivoted thereto, one

tables each comprised of a frame having hinged sections, and legs to which said frame is pivoted, one set of said table legs being fixed to the car floor, pedestals arranged in advance of thesaid fixed legs for the frece tion of one section of said frame, and cus ions interposed between said frame and said pedestals. 8. A convertible car having a series of tables com rised of movable sections, and a series of c airs provided with adjustable seats, said tables and chairs being so spaced that the sections of the. table may be rearranged to obtain a consecutive series of seats.

9. A convertible car having a p tables arranged with interveningc airspaces, each of said tables having a top comprised of sections which may be arranged to constitute lurality of a seat and a back therefor, suitable supports for said seat sections when lowered, and mte osed chairs having detachable seats, and a c air frame provided with seat ves at different heights and so dispose that the cross bars of the chair frames shall constitute chair arms when the seats occupy the lower grooves of the frames.

10. A car having a vestibule provided with a hinged ceiling panel adapted to form when logvelred a partition for sub-divid ng said vesti u e.

1 1. In combination with the vestibule of a car, a hinged section provided with an 550 ing, and adapted to constitute alterna ceiling anel and a vestibule partition.

12.. car, a movable artition for the subdivision of said vestibu c, said artition provided with an opening, and a cor or shutter for closing the ope in said partition said door itself provided wit an opening and a. shelf or counter adjacent thereto.

combination with the vestibule of a 13. In combination with the vestibule of a car, a movable partition for sub-dividing said 

